Basketball Game Preview: St. Laurence Vikings vs. Brother Rice Crusaders

St. Laurence is 2-8 against Brother Rice since February of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The St. Laurence Vikings will welcome the Brother Rice Crusaders at 7:00 p.m. St. Laurence is coming into the match hot, having won their last six games.

If St. Laurence beats Brother Rice with 68 points on Tuesday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. St. Laurence really took it to Marmion for the full four quarters, racking up a 68-32 win. The Vikings have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 games by 23 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Brother Rice was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Saturday as they fell 56-51 to West Aurora. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Crusaders came into the match with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked fifth, while the Blackhawks are ranked 192nd).

St. Laurence's victory was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 22-5. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 34 points. As for Brother Rice, their loss dropped their record down to 23-4.

St. Laurence was dealt a bruising 82-52 defeat at the hands of Brother Rice in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Will St. Laurence have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.